Can-washing machine.



H. D. LATHROP 62 W. H, PAULSON. 7

CAN WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9. I917.

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H. 0. LATHROP & W..H. PAuLs0N..

CAN WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9,1911.

Patente Feb. 12, 191&

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H. 0. LATHHVOP & w. H.. PAULSON.

CAN WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION man JUNE 9. 1911.

Patented Feb. 12,1918.

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- milk can washing machines, the present application being a division of our pending application, Serial No. 149,101, filed Februa enacanon r mam meat.

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fratentsa rents, tare.

Grlgtnel application filedltebruary 16,1812; Serial Ito, 149,101. "Divided and this applitationlnlefl June '9,

To all whom it may concern United States, and residents otthe city of Chicago, county of Cook, and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Can-Washing achines, of which the following is a specifi-.

cation.

Our invention relates to improvements 1n ary 16, 1917, for can washin' machines,

The object of this invention is the production of new and improved means for controlling the discharge of the cleansing fluids used in the washing of milk cans,'

' where the latter are handled in a can washing machine of the character-in whichthe cans are sub ected to a series of washing and sterilizing processes, in the passage of the cans through the machine.

A further object is the production of fluid control mechanism, as mentioned, which will be of economical construction and highly eflicient in use.

Other oo ects will appear hereinafter.

The inventicn consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

- forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a partially sectional side elevation of the receiving end of a can washing machine equipped with mechanism,embodying the inv ntion,

Fig. 2 is .a section taken on substantially line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on substantially line 3--3 of fig Q4 isa horizontal section taken on substantially line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is asection taken on substantially v line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail side elevation of one of the can supporting rails, showing oneof the pivotally mounted valve actuating members thereof, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional top plan view of one the valve operating levers detached.

The preferred form of construction as to a cleansing1 191?. .flerl'al No. 175,895.

illustrated in the drawings, comprises a suitable elongated framework 10, in the lower portion "of which are supported guide rails 11, for the milk cans A to be cleaned,

andhin theupper portion ofwhich are pro 'vided elongated guide rails 12 for the milk can covers B to becleaned. Said framealong the can guide, the same are subjected Cleansing fluid is process. conveyed to t e machine through pipes 14, 15 and 16, as clearlyseen in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, cold water being preferably supplied by the pipe 14, hot water by the pipe 15 and steam by the pipe 16.

The pipes 14, 15 and 16, terminate in upwardly projecting nozzles 17, 18 and 19, re spectively, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, the arrangement of said nozzles being such that they are positioned directly under the cans as the same are moved along through the machine. From .the pipes 14, 15 and 16 extend upwardly pipes 14', 15' and 16', respectively, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, which communicate with spraying devices 20., '21

and 22, respectively, which are correspondingly positioned with reference to the can covers, said spraying devicesbeing located directly below the cover guides. Internosed in each of'the pipes 14', 15" and 16 is a conventional manually adjustable valve 23 "ing with the oscillatory control stem 25 of each of said valves 24 is anactuating lever 26 which is pivotally connected at 27 with a block.28 in which is formed an opening "29 for the valve stem 25, to which said block may be locked by means of a set screw 30, as clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 7.

With this arrangement it will be seen that each of the levers 26 is mounted to permit of free vertical oscillation, horizontaloscillation thereof effecting, of course, opening and closing of the valve with which the same co operates. The arrangement is such that, normally, each lever 26 will assume, by gravity, the position shown in Fig. 5, that is.

with the outer end thereof in a lowered position.

Actuation of the levers 26 is effected by means of a reciprocatory bar 31 which is 32, one of which is adapted for cooperation.

witheach of the valve actuating levers 26.

' Also carried by the bar 31 is a plurality of depending fingers 33 which are pivotally connected at 34 with supporting lugs 35 cartied at the inner side of the bar 31, as clearly seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The pivotal mounting of the fingers 33 is such that the lower ends of said fingers are free to swing in one direction, that is to the right, as seen in Fig. 3, said fingers being, however, prevented from swinging to the left or toward the discharge end of the machine. 1 Furthermore the arrangement is such that in the normal position of the levers 26, the outer ends thereof willbe positioned below the fingers 32, and 33, as clearly seen in Fig. 5, so that with said fingers in this position, reciprocation of the bar 31 will have no effect upon said levers'26. Arranged for coiiperation, however, with the inner ends of levers 26 are plates 36 pivotally mounted at 37 'uponone of the guide rails 11, as seen in Fig. 6, the flanged base of the guide rail bein slotted to allow for pivotal movement of t e members 36, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5. The plates 36 normally assume the position shown in Fig. 6, wherein the forward ends thereof project above the guide rails 11 for engagement with the milk cans as the same are ad: vanced along said uide rails. With this arrangement it will e seen' that in the advance of a can alon the guide rail 11, the

same will successive y engage with and depress the forward ends of the members 36 such depression causin the inner ends 0 levers 26 to be rocke downwardly, thus causing elevation of the outer ends of said levers to operative relation with the fingers 32 and 33, as seen in Figs. 1' and 2. Thus,

with this arrangement, it will be seen that the operation of the fluid control valves will not be effected except when a can is in posttion to receive the discharge of the cleansing fluid. When a can is thus positioned, the same, through depression of the corresponding plate 36, will effect depression of the inner end of the corresponding lever 26, causing the outer end of the latter to be elevated to operative relation with cotiperating fingers 32 and 33m: the bar 31. With said lever 26 thus positioned, it will be seen that upon reciprocation of bar 31 toward the discharge end of the machine, or'toward the left, as seen in Fig. 3, the outer end of the lever 26 will be engaged by the corresponding finger 32 and thus the lever oscillated to open the valve. Upon .the return movement of bar 31, said end of said lever will be engaged by the corresponding finger 33 which will rock said lever to initial position, thus closing the valve. Each of the valve levers 26 will be correspondingly operated provided the milk can is positioned in operative relation with the corresponding plate 36, or in a position to receive the discharge of the cleansing fluid which is controlled by that valve.

Actuation of the bar 31 is effected through the medium of an oscillatory manually adjustable lever 38 which is arranged at the opposite side of them-achin'e, and which 18 connected through a system of levers and links with said bar, the arrangement being such that said bar will be moved one direction, when said lever is rocked 1n one direction, and moved in the other direction,

when said lever is rocked in the opposite direction. The parts are so arranged, that is the machine is so timed, that the fluid con trol valves will be open only when the cans are at rest over the discharge nozzles, the valves being opened just after the cans reach the position mentioned and closed just before the cans are again moved. Some lost motion is of course required to secure this timing, this being taken care of by the spaced positioning of the 'fingers 32and 33 upon the bar 31. The free pivotal movement permitted the fingers 33, in one direction, prevents operation of the valve levers 26 by said levers, except in one direction of movement of the latter, said fingers, 1n

- the opposite direction of movement of the same being adapted to yield and passby without disturbing said levers. By shutting off the discharge -of cleansing fluid exceptwhen the cans and covers are arranged ,in'aposition to receive the same, agreat saving in cleansing fluid is effected, waste of the same being thus prevented.

The drippings from the milk cans are collected in a drip pan 39 mounted in the lower part of the machine as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The drippings from the covers are collected in a drip pan 40, arranged be- -low the same, said drip p'an 40 draining into narrow elongated vertically disposed compartments 41 arranged at opposite sides of the machine, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Said compartments 41 are formed adjacent theirlower ends and at their inner sides with perforations 42 which are adapted to spray the liquid thus collected onto the exterior lateral walls of the cans to thus efiect cleansing of the outer sides of dd r fluid toward the object; means for actuating sald valve comprising a lever adapted, when arness I the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into eflect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing-from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having describedour invention what we claim as new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a guide for the objects to be cleaned;

means for intermittently feeding the objects along said guide; means for subjecting an object to the action ofa cleansing fluid when the object reaches a certain position in its travel along said guide; a valve governing the discharge of fluid toward the object; a movable element for operating said valve; means for actuating sald element, said element being normally positioned out of operative relation with said actuating means; and means for moving said element to a po 'SltlOIl in operative relation with said actuatingmeans, upon arrival of-an object at the position on sa1d guide in which the object is adapted to receive the discharge of cleansi actuating said lever,

ing fluid, substantially as described.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a guide for the objects to be cleaned; means for intermittently feeding the objects-along mg the objects to the action of a cleansing fluid in the travel of the same along said guide; a valve governing the discharge of actuated, to operate said valve; means for said lever being normally ositioned out of operative relation with said actuating means; and means in the path ofo movement of the object to be cleaned so as to be operated thereby for moving said lever to a position in operative relation with said actuating means upon travel of an ob- Ject on said guide to a position to receive the discharge 0 said cleansing fluid, substan tially as described. a

3; A machine of the class described comprising a guide for the objects to be cleaned; means; for intermittently feeding the .ob-

he objects to. the action of a cleansing flui said guide; means for subjectv iects along said guide; means for subjectin I a valve governing the discharge of fluid toward the object; means for actuating said valve comprising a lever mounted for vertical and horizontal oscillatory movement, said lever being adapted, when horizontally oscillated to operate said valve; actuating means for oscillating said lever, said lever being normally positioned out of operative relation with said actuating means; and means for vertically oscillating said lever to a position in, operative relation with said actuating means, upon travel of an object on said guide to a position to receive the discharge ofthe cleansing fluid, substantially as described.

t. A machine for cleansing milk cans and covers therefor, comprising a' guide for the cans; a cover guide arranged above said can guide; means for spraying a cleansing. fluid onto the covers on said cover guide; and means for utilizing the cleansing fluid dripping from said covers to spray onto the exterior surfaces of the cans on the can guide, substantially as described.

5. A. machine for cleansing milk cans and the covers therefor, comprising a guide for the cans; a cover guide arranged above said can guide; means for spraying a cleansing fluid onto the covers; a drip pan arranged below said cover guide adapted to collect the cleansing fluid dripping from said covers; and means for spraying the fluid col lected in said drip pan onto the cans ar ranged on said can guide, substantially as described.

6. A machine for cleansing milk cans and the covers therefor, comprising a ide for the cans; a cover guide arranged a ove said can guide; means for spraying a cleansing fluid onto the covers; a dr1p pan arrange below said cover guide adapted 'to collect the cleansing fluid dripping fromfsaid covers; and elongated. vertically disposed receptacles extending longitudinally of said can guide having perforated inner walls, Said-receptacles being adapted to receive the fluid collected in said drip pan and spray the same against the extractor surfaces of the cansarranged on said can guide, subdantially as described.

o lin testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence 

